Chapter Three
Practice and Memories
Fred sighed. He and Fred were doing yet another run through their performance, and McGonagall was driving him nuts. Apparently she was trying to get her house as many points as possible from this contest and she was making sure all her students felt comfortable onstage.
"Professor!" cried George. "Please, we're fine with this song. We know it perfectly and we've still got a week before the contest. We'll do just swimmingly next Friday. Promise."
The professor stepped back from George, whose chin she was pushing up in an effort to make him not look at the floor. She glared at him. "Fine. But don't come crying to me when you don't win."
She stomped over to the head table and flopped down. "Well, go on then."
Fred and George shrugged and ran through their song one last time before they left. All the while, Professor McGonagall was 'harrumph'-ing in her seat, arms crossed. When the twins finished, she stood stiffly and said "Alright. Out you two. Let Mister Longbottom in when you leave, if you please."
The two seventh years gathered their props and left the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Neville finished his song for the fifth time. He was much more comfortable with it now that he'd gotten the feel for the stage. And the fact that Professor McGonagall was so impressed she couldn't stand it helped. She had to sit down on the nearest flat space rather quickly after Neville had begun his song the first time.
At the moment, she was trying to retrieve her jaw from its current position of almost-on-the-floor. Neville grinned sheepishly and hopped off the stage.
"Are we done for the day, Professor?" asked Neville, grinning.
McGonagall beamed at him. "Yes dear. You'll do beautifully. I must say I am quite impressed." She stood and walked with him out of the room. "Now let's leave before Professor Snape gets here and starts bragging about the talent from his house." She winked at Neville, showing a genial side of herself that was not often seen.
They started out of the room. The pair reached the doors, and Neville, always the gentleman, stepped in front and pulled them open for her. She nodded her thanks and they exited the Great Hall.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode entered the Great Hall an hour later for their dress rehearsal.
Snape was sitting in a chair near the edge of the stage, arms crossed and looking grumpy. He looked up as the girls approached.
"Alright, girls. Let's see this performance and get the hell out of here as quickly as humanly possible." Snape glared. How I ever got stuck with this… Damn Albus. He had to do something to cheer the students up. The little brats should not be cheery. The Dark Lord is coming back to power and- Snape was wrenched away from his mental diatribe about the headmaster and his stupidity when Pansy tapped him on the shoulder.
"Professor Snape? Sir?" She looked worried. Apparently the surge of anger toward Dumbledore was apparent on his face. He'd been so engrossed in the mental Albus-bashing that he'd not heard his student's question.
"Yes? What is it?" asked Snape, grudgingly.
"Erm, we could use your help, sir." said Millicent, blushing slightly.
"And how may I be of service?" asked Snape, quite curious now.
"Well," began Pansy. "We're going to be singing to someone and we- um." She stopped, looking incredibly bashful suddenly.
"You what, Miss Parkinson?" prompted Snape.
"We need to practice on someone," said Millicent in a rush.
Snape raised an eyebrow. "I see."
"So could you help?" asked Pansy anxiously. She batted her eyelashes at him and added, "Please?"
"I suppose so." Snape swept up to the stage and sat in a chair there as he was directed.
For the next half hour, he had to keep himself together mentally as the girls proceeded to drape themselves all over him and sit in his lap as they sang. After two runs through with the words they'd written, they decided to start singing the professor's name instead of the intended object of their serenade.
After almost six performances of the girls' song, Snape found himself quite aroused. Even thinking about Argus Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris, in matching string bikinis didn't help quell the excitement. After all, it wasn't every day that a fifteen-year-old girl was wiggling around in his lap. Let alone two of them! He had lipstick marks all over his cheeks as well. When the girls finished off their sixth performance, he stood abruptly.
"Alright, girls. I think you'll just swimmingly." He prayed that the two young ladies would not notice how much he enjoyed the practice session.
The two Slytherins smiled at their Head of House and nodded. They gathered up their books and got ready to leave. As they were approaching the wooden doors, Pansy turned back to face Snape.
"Thank you for all your help this afternoon, Professor." She beamed at him, and Snape swore she winked.
Snape cleared his throat, still affected by their performance. "Ah. Yes. You are quite welcome, Miss Parkinson."
Snape sighed to himself as the girls exited the hall. One quarter of an hour later, Blaise Zabini entered the Hall for his dress rehearsal. Snape fought with his mind to rid himself of the thoughts of the girls' song.
Later that evening, however, he did find himself humming their song quietly. "Snapey baby…"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry peered through a window in the otherwise solid oak doors to the Great Hall. He groaned softly.
Malfoy. He looks like a natural up there. Harry sighed, continuing his observations. He looks beautiful when he sings. So relaxed and carefree. Wish I could hear him…
Harry mentally kicked himself for watching Draco Malfoy. He'd been harboring a secret obsession with the blonde for the better part of a year. He didn't realize he liked his own gender until the past summer when he had several interesting dreams. The first couple starred himself and Oliver Wood. But soon the dreams graduated to Malfoy, and stayed that way ever since.
Now Harry stood outside the Great Hall, wishing he could be inside with the sexy Slytherin. He sighed.
"Oh I'm not going to do any good next Friday. He looks so good up there. Shame there's a Silencing Charm on the doors…" Harry voiced the other thought that was running through his mind as he watched Malfoy practice.
"Oh, Harry. You'll do just fine."
Harry jumped and stared around wildly.
Directly behind him was none other than Albus Dumbledore.
"Headmaster! Hello, sir!" cried Harry, his heart still racing.
"I startled you, I see." Harry nodded silently. "Well, as I said. You'll do just fine in that contest."
"Why do you say that, sir?" asked Harry, interested.
Dumbledore put a hand on the young boy's shoulder and started steering Harry toward his office. "I merely have a very good feeling."
"Oh."
They walked in silence for a few minutes. Then Dumbledore spoke. "You know, we had a contest like this last time Voldemort was rising to power." Dumbledore stopped walking. It was only when the headmaster said "licorice whips" that Harry realized where they were. The gargoyle bounded out of the way and let the two pass.
Once inside Dumbledore's office, the head master indicated that Harry should sit in one of the plush chairs in front of the desk. Dumbledore walked to a cupboard at the side of the room and opened it. Harry recognized it as the cabinet Dumbledore stored his Pensieve in. Dumbledore was not carrying the Pensieve to his desk. As he set the basin down, Harry looked to the older man in confusion.
"I have something I think you would enjoy seeing, Harry." Dumbledore stirred the contents of the Pensieve with his wand. Harry thought he saw his face appear at the surface for a moment, but it disappeared again as fast as it had come.
Dumbledore withdrew his wand from the silvery plasma and motioned for Harry to come closer. Harry stood and moved nearer to the headmaster and his bowl full of memories.
"Go ahead in, dear boy. No need to worry," said Dumbledore, seeing the apprehension on the young Gryffindor's face. "This is a happy memory, Harry. From the last singing contest, twenty years ago."
Harry nodded. He was wondering why the headmaster would think Harry would like seeing a bunch of wizards from twenty years ago singing and dancing around a stage. But he trusted Dumbledore, so he leaned in and peered into the basin. He saw the Great Hall with a stage not unlike the one Malfoy was still practicing on right now. He leaned forward some more and the tip of his nose touched the surface as it had the first time he encountered the Pensieve just last year. He felt himself pitch forward and fall slowly from the ceiling of the Great Hall. Harry landed in an empty chair to the left of the Dumbledore of twenty years ago. He looked around and saw he was sitting at what seemed to be the judges' table. Professor McGonagall was on his left, and there were also two witches and one wizard at the table he did not recognize. He assumed they were probably the other three Heads of House.
He looked at the stage where a tall and lanky boy, no more than two years older than Harry himself, was standing in the center. Harry had the distinct feeling he knew this boy. After Harry's eyes took in the flaming red hair, he realized who this had to be.
Arthur Weasley grinned at his classmates. "Well that was a wonderful performance, Severus." Harry's eyes flew to the audience, where a younger, happier and much less greasy Severus Snape sat. His pale skin was slightly flushed. Harry obviously entered this Great Hall just after Snape's performance. I though Snape didn't like the idea of a singing contest. Hmm… Wonder why he's so against it now… thought Harry.
Arthur turned his gaze to another group of students. "Now I have the extreme pleasure of introducing four of Hogwarts' best jokesters, and my roommates, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black and James Potter."
Harry gasped loudly. But the sound was drowned out by the thunderous applause echoing through the Hall.
Four seventeen-year-old boys stood proudly and grinned at the red-head onstage. The crowd continued cheering as Harry's father and his four best friends took the stage.
Once they climbed the stage steps, the four Gryffindors positioned themselves, turned their backs to their audience, and undid their robes. As the boys began shrugging off the robes, there were whoops from at least a dozen girls, and Harry grinned. The black fabric slid off the quartet's shoulders and floated to the floor unnaturally slowly. That had to be some kind of a spell, thought Harry. The Marauders were wearing black high-top Converse sneakers, dark blue jeans, and brilliant red shirts. Each boy had his name emblazoned across his shoulder blades in a vivid golden yellow.
Harry sat back as they finished preparing for their act. He marveled at how much like his father he really looked. Everyone who'd known James always said Harry looked like him, but Harry had never gotten to truly see the resemblance until now.
Peter suddenly spun and started creating a percussion-like beat with his mouth. The drum-and-cymbal sounds reverberated through the Hall.
"Bpoom chish bpah-bpoombpoom chish
Bpoom chish bpah-bpoombpoom chish"
Then Remus spun like Peter and started singing a bass beat, and his surprisingly deep and booming voice filled the room.
"BOH-BOH-BOH BOH BOH BOHBOHBOH
BOH-BOH-BOH BOH BOH BOH BOH BOH"
James and Sirius spun last and grinned at each other before James started singing in a high falsetto.
"You can tell by the way we good guys act.
We're the Gryffindors,
And that's a fact."
Sirius grinned again and sang in his own falsetto.
"You can tell we're all great guys.
Would not be Gryffies other wise."
Peter and Remus stopped their accompaniment just in time, and with James they joined Sirius for the chorus.
"YOU MAY RUN, YOU MAY HIDE,
BUT WE'LL BEAT OUT THE OTHER SIDE.
NOW YOU CAN'T STAND TO LOOK AWAY
THE LIGHT SIDE IS HERE TO STAY."
The four boys were be-bopping around the stage and singing. The next line they sang with serious looks.
"DARK TIMES ARE A-COMIN' "
But the dark looks vanished instantly when they moved on.
"BUT NOW YOU'RE ALL A-HUMMING
'I'M STAYIN' ALIVE,
STAYIN' ALIVE.
SOON HIS HOLD WE'LL SEVER"
They linked arms.
"AND WE'LL DO IT TOGETHER
WHILE WE'RE STAYIN' ALIVE
STAYIN' ALIVE
AH-HA-HA-HA STAYIN' ALIVE, STAYIN' ALIVE
AH-HA-HA-HA STAYIN' ALI-I-I-I-I-IVE"
Peter and Remus went back to their background sounds as James and Sirius bobbed their heads. Then Sirius started in on the second verse.
"Times will get low, and they'll get high,
We just have to deal and we will try."
James grinned again and came in.
"You have to the right, and you can choose.
But please know this: The Dark will lose."
The four boys clumped together and sang all together again.
"YEAH YOU MAY RUN, YOU MAY HIDE,
BUT WE'LL BEAT OUT THE OTHER SIDE.
NOW YOU CAN'T STAND TO LOOK AWAY
THE LIGHT SIDE IS HERE TO STAY."
They each pulled a rotten face again.
"DARK TIMES ARE A-COMIN' "
But their faces fixed themselves instantly when they moved on.
"BUT NOW YOU'RE ALL A-HUMMING
'I'M STAYIN' ALIVE,
STAYIN' ALIVE.
SOON HIS HOLD WE'LL SEVER"
They linked arms again.
"AND WE'LL DO IT TOGETHER
WHILE WE'RE STAYIN' ALIVE
STAYIN' ALIVE
AH-HA-HA-HA STAYIN' ALIVE, STAYIN' ALIVE
AH-HA-HA-HA STAYIN' ALI-I-I-I-I-IVE"
The Marauders grinned at their audience and shook their heads.
"WE AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE. WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU.
WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU. YEAH.
WE AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE.
WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU. YEAH."
(Stayin' ali-i-i-i-ive)
Peter and Remus returned to their accompanying parts and James stepped forward again, repeating himself.
"You can tell by the way we good guys act.
We're the Gryffindors,
And that's a fact."
Sirius stepped up and repeated his first lines.
"You can tell we're all great guys.
Would not be Gryffies other wise."
Peter and Remus stopped their accompaniment and the Gryffindor Four sang together.
"YOU MAY RUN, YOU MAY HIDE,
BUT WE'LL BEAT OUT THE OTHER SIDE.
NOW YOU CAN'T STAND TO LOOK AWAY
THE LIGHT SIDE IS HERE TO STAY."
They each pulled a rotten face again.
"DARK TIMES ARE A-COMIN' "
But the dark looks vanished, as always, when they moved on.
"BUT NOW YOU'RE ALL A-HUMMING
'I'M STAYIN' ALIVE,
STAYIN' ALIVE.
SOON HIS HOLD WE'LL SEVER"
They linked arms a third time.
"AND WE'LL DO IT TOGETHER
WHILE WE'RE STAYIN' ALIVE
STAYIN' ALIVE
AH-HA-HA-HA STAYIN' ALIVE, STAYIN' ALIVE
AH-HA-HA-HA STAYIN' ALI-I-I-I-I-IVE"
The boys shook their heads again while singing.
WE AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE. WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU.
WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU. YEAH.
WE AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE. WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU YEAH.
WE'LL ALL STAY ALI-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-IVE!
The boys repeated the last bit over and over, their voices dying slowly as they did. As they sang, they all boogied off the stage, and started dancing with the crowd.
WE AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE. WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU.
WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU. YEAH.
WE AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE. WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU YEAH.
WE'LL ALL STAY ALI-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-IVE!
WE AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE. WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU.
WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU. YEAH.
WE AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE. WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU YEAH.
WE'LL ALL STAY ALI-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-IVE!
For their last time through the words, the four seventeen-year-olds danced their way back to the stage.
WE AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE. WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU.
WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU. YEAH.
WE AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE. WE'RE GONNA HELP YOU YEAH.
WE'LL ALL STAY ALI-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-IVE!
After they sang the last word, they all spun and faced away from the audience. Then, simultaneously, they all stuck their right hands in the air, pointing one finger up to the ceiling, poked their left hands down, fingers pointed toward the floor, bent their left knees and turned their heads to the left, creating four perfect disco-type poses.
The crowd erupted in cheers, as it had when they took the stage. They broke from their disco poses, and gathered for a group hug. Then they each bent over, grabbed their own discarded robe from the stage floor, and sauntered off the stage.
Harry was ready to watch the next performance, but suddenly the image shifted. Now he was alone at the judges' table. The five judges were standing on the stage, announcing the winners.
Dumbledore from twenty years ago stepped forward and smiled, the familiar twinkle in his eyes even then. "Well, ladies and gentlemen. The time has come, and the five of us have decided the winners."
The crowd rippled with excitement.
Harry tuned Dumbledore out for a bit while he searched round the Hall. Then he found her. Lily Evans was sitting very close to James and was whispering in his ear. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. Harry felt tears forming in his eyes, and he forced himself to look back at Dumbledore, who'd just announced the third place winners. A happy group of giggling girls were carrying a small trophy back to their seats.
"And in second place…" Dumbledore paused for effect before announcing, "Severus Snape of Slytherin House. Congratulations, son."
The crowd clapped enthusiastically. Seventeen-year-old Snape stepped up, blushing. He looked pleased, but slightly disappointed. He took his trophy from the headmaster and returned to his seat, appraising his new acquisition.
"Finally, our first place contestants. Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black and James Potter, all of Gryffindor House. Congratulations, gentlemen." The Hall seemed as though it was about to explode from the noise that was created within it. Everyone was so loud that Dumbledore's congratulations were all but lost in the racket. The Marauders jumped to their feet and ran to the stage. James and Sirius took the huge trophy and held it up over their heads. Harry beamed and clapped furiously, even if his father couldn't hear it. Then he scanned at the crowd.
Snape was fuming in his seat. It was obvious that he was seething from the Marauders beating him at one more thing. Harry thought it served him right. He was a bastard, after all. But then Harry reasoned that maybe at the time of this memory, he wasn't a complete ass quite yet. Then Harry felt a hand on his elbow.
"I believe you need to go to practice now, Harry."
Harry looked to his left, and there was the Dumbledore of his time. Harry nodded and let Dumbledore help him out of the Pensieve.
Once Harry found himself in the headmaster's office again, he grinned at the ancient man. "Thank you so much, sir. That was wonderful to see."
"I thought you would like that." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at him. "But, as I said, I believe you have practice."
Harry looked at his watch. "Yes, sir. I do. Thank you again."
"You are quite welcome, Harry. Have fun at rehearsal." Dumbledore smiled as Harry turned and hurried from the room.
~*~TBC~*~
